Refreshment ~ A Shared Workshop

Months in the planning, another Ashland Art Center Artist, Yelena Joy and I have created a tandem-taught Journaling Workshop. "Self Discovery Through Journaling" at the tucked away jewel of Hidden Springs, was a one day affair and did some deep and refreshing work.

We arrived early to set up the beautifully coral colored room. We have ample room and tables enough for samples of both Yelena's and my journals. While Yelena leads off the workshop with some breathing and awareness exercises I get to savor some of her new-to-me processes. All us participants are lead to a safe, playful place and with no design in my head, I allow marks and colors to land on my journal page. I get to hear my usual "critical" voice wondering where
the order is? the tidiness? the structure? And in just ignoring "her", this is the page I create. Viewing the curves I begin creating lil' people and fish to inhabit  the

 playful world. And eventually, just out of triangles, comes the graphic fish swimming along my border. It truly was refreshing and freeing.

After our lunch break, we gather for my portion of the class. I guide them through one of my all time favorite processes, "Animal Mandala". Everyone gives vision to different animals ~ reminding me of how different and how at diverse places we all are in 
our lives.

I giggle, because once again, I out-picture the Chipmunk. He seems to be with me for awhile and I think I sort of know what he looks like. I sketch in a rough chipmunk and save completing his head 'til I'm home and can get a better reference from which to work. Well, when I begin to finish up my chipmunk, I realize he's more like a squirrel. I have to enlarge my critter, scrape off wax crayon and re-design the entire mandala. Now, my chipmunk has the right proportions (what happened to that photographic memory I had as a child?) and the correct tail. And he even gets to dab his tail onto the underwater play of my previous page. Sigh. I do some research in my "Animal Speaks" book and feel out what text applies to me and the particular attributes I need to be wary of or work on.

The workshop continues onto the following page ... with an appropriate finale ... stay tuned!

A Tumble of Creativity for Retreat Tuesday

Tuesday breaks gorgeous. Following a calming yoga session down by the lake, we gather round the breakfast table and munch ~ between smiles.

We have a jam packed day with wide variety and some of my very favorite processes. Jean leads off with a mesmerizing contour drawing process. Now I love this exercise when I can totally give myself to the moment. But ... durn ... this year my brain kept chattering. So this years image was scattered and spotty. When I'd finished the initial image I felt I'd best go in and explain some of the significance in my confusion. I still love the rich memories that flood back with this on site meditation  Here's some of us punctuated among-st the shore line.


Our amazing Chef Izzy has given us the option of learning how to "pull the feather" from our soon-to-be-dinner squid. We learned that this feather-like, transparent spine must be removed for cooking. Delicately Izzy demonstrated how to tenderly pull the very breakable item from inside the floppy squid. I was successful at getting mine out without breaking the spine. Here I've mounted it for posterity in my journal. A very different experience for me!

Following a tantalizing lunch, we head to the Sequoia Cabin for some studio work. Delving into our "Animal Mandalas" touches an inner place in me, and usually when I witness how it speaks to the other participants, I'm quite moved. This year I was given a "Chipmunk". When I'd completed my research around this lil' guy, I knew how appropriate he was to me for where I am in my life. And off I trotted creating this delightful mandala (don't worry, I did further research for image references once I got home to finish it up like this!). But I smile each time I see this busy lil' guy and all he represents to me.

Our final journal work for the afternoon came out to look like this for me. This writing process is always fun and has become more frivolous each time I do it. Then, once home I find an illustration to accompany the deeper meaning of the words. I loved this in-flight swan ... with his secret message.

But do you think our activities are over? Heck no!! We'd planned on dining around the campfire followed by our musical Beth, pulling out her guitar for singing around the cozy fire. With thunderous cumulus clouds traveling overhead we decided to eat in the cabin but, launched out to our proposed fire site after dinner. What a riot! Old songs we'd not heard in years and then, getting everyone to sing and laugh at the harmonies. With great melancholy we finally doused the fire and returned to our cabins for a satiated nights slumber.

Can tomorrow be even better? Wait and see . . .